Original subtitles

[The Unclouded Soul]

[Episode 2]

I haven't bathed in days,

and I haven't even relieved myself.

I just smell sour and foul—

I wouldn't taste good at all.

Where did the half-demon blood in you

come from?

What half-demon?

I don't understand any of that.

I'm just a commoner.

A demon hunter

can't be called a commoner.

Those are all fake—

just ordinary coarse paper.

If they were real, you'd have reacted by now.

You really do stink.

Mm-hmm.

In that case,

I'll just have to find a rat demon to eat you.

No, no,

no, no, no—

Boss, Cat Boss,

please don't eat me.

You've seen me—

I have no demonic power.

A swindler like you

is even less worthy of living.

Stop!

Since you claim not to be a demon hunter,

what is your name?

Where is your home?

Is anyone else in your family?

My name is Xiao Yao.

It's just my father and me in my family.

My father used to be a hunter in Wenling,

but then the magistrate's office forced us to catch demons.

W-We didn't know how to catch a demon, and we didn't understand any of it.

I had no choice

but to team up with some fellow villagers

to scam people—just to get by.

What is your date of birth?

I don't know.

I really don't know.

My mother died right after giving birth to me.

My father said he just remembers

it was a winter night,

heavy snow falling,

and when the wind blew, plum blossoms swirled into the room—

that's when I was born.

Really, I'm not lying.

What do you want from me?

Now

you can never lose me.

No matter where I go,

no matter how many years pass—

you will always find me.

If you must kill me, then kill me—

but do not dishonor me,

my lord demon.

My Lord,

it seems she is not Ning'an.

Please rest now

and leave

the rest to me.

No need.

My Lord,

she merely resembles Ning'an. That is all.

Excuse me, have you all come to an agreement?

Is it possible to release me now?

Thank you so much!

What a truly good soul—

no, a truly good demon!

Find two minor demons to guard her.

Once it's done,

come find me.

Yes, My Lord.

My Lord,

Ning'an is dead.

Xiao Mu saw it with his own eyes.

This woman

may seem unusual,

but I swear

she is not Ning'an.

Switch to Xiao Mu.

My Lord, you...

You...

I, Xiao Mu, am here, My Lord.

Tell me everything

that happened after my death—

every detail, without missing a word.

The best decision

I ever made in this life

was meeting you.

After the crowd dispersed,

I retrieved your clothes—

still carrying a trace of your primordial spirit—

intending to return to Demons' Valley and preserve it with care.

But by then, the demons in Demons' Valley

had already been slaughtered by humans.

I had no choice but to seal your spirit

within an ancient tree deep in the heart of Qingyuan Mountain.

Drawing upon the mountain's spiritual energy

and your cultivation,

it would have taken only 300 years

for you to regain human form.

Over the years,

demons have been hunted nearly to extinction by humans.

The survivors each harbor their own agendas.

I gathered those minor demons who hadn't yet awakened their spiritual awareness

back to the one small corner of Demons' Valley

that remained untouched,

trained them to strengthen their power,

and prepared for your awakening.

But just a century had passed,

and who could have foreseen

that this woman would disturb your primordial spirit…

You have endured much.

My Lord,

my life—Xiao Ming's too—

was given by you.

Without you,

we would have remained stray cats,

abused and forgotten,

living out mere years in the human realm.

So anything we do for you

is only what we ought to do.

It's just...

now that you have been forcibly awakened before your time,

your three souls and seven spirits have not yet fully returned.

Your spiritual power is greatly diminished

and will require daily cultivation

to restore it swiftly.

To regain my power rapidly,

the most effective way

is to find the Yuli Spring before the humans do

and claim it for my own.

But to locate the Yuli Spring,

I still need the guidance of the Kunlun Mirror.

The ancient Kunlun Mirror

was shattered on the day of your wedding,

its fragments scattered across the three realms.

In these hundred years,

only you have ever succeeded in finding pieces of the mirror.

Now, every clan is growing desperate in their search for the Yuli Spring—

especially since your awakening

has also stirred the reappearance of the Dreamshard.

If you leave Demons' Valley now to seek the mirror,

you will become a target for all. It is far too dangerous.

We implore you

to remain in the valley and recover your strength for now.

My Lord, My Lord—

the human girl has escaped!

How could you let this happen?

Weren't you told to keep a close watch on her?

How could she escape?

She said she needed to relieve herself.

If we didn't let her out,

she threatened to do it right in the room.

Hey, little ones,

why did you take my bag?

Tell your friends to give it back to me.

So this is your hideout?

How adorable...

Sorry about that,

um—

I'll fix it for you right now.

Stop hitting me, and I'll fix it!

I'm really sorry!

I'll help repair this bridge for you.

Looks like it can't really

be fixed after all…

Um, maybe you should fix it yourselves.

W-Who told you to snatch my bag first anyway?

Next time, I'll help you fix it properly.

Um,

sorry, sorry—

it wasn't on purpose.

I just

accidentally broke them,

but it was your little ones

who snatched my bag first!

Next time I have a chance, I'll help you fix it for real!

Stop chasing me!

I already said I'd help you!

Demons, begone!

Blast you!

Blast you all!

Dad!

I'll blast you to pieces!

She disappeared right here.

My Lord,

there's no need to worry.

With her level of skill,

she could never breach the barrier of Demons' Valley.

But given her level of skill,

she'd be in danger if she encountered a demon with ill intentions.

It is time to gather all demons

back under my command.

I finally found this place!

Until our paths cross again!

What's going on?

How unusual—

a being from another race has actually entered Demons' Valley.

[Hei Wu]

How did you cross the barrier?

And how many others are with you?

All of you—stand down!

A century has passed,

Demon Lord, I trust you have been well.

A century ago, you were defeated by my hand.

I ordered you to cultivate in the Pipa Cave

and refrain from meddling in demon affairs.

Why have you left without permission?

Well, with the Demon Lord absent,

chaos spread among our demon kind.

I merely guarded this last stretch

of land in Demons' Valley in your stead.

Demon Lord, congratulations on regaining human form.

Now that I have returned,

the demons shall be under my care again.

Come with me.

Not so fast.

This outsider girl

carries demon-repelling artifacts on her

and trespassed into Demons' Valley—

clearly she bears ill will toward our demon kind.

I, Hei Wu, dare not question the Demon Lord,

but neither can I ignore a threat to the demon kind.

What would you have us do?

I didn't even want to come here— I'll leave right now.

How I act requires

no commentary from you.

Demon Lord,

mercy and softness will not achieve great deeds.

Or perhaps your will outruns your strength.

If you cannot ensure the safety of Demons' Valley,

I, Hei Wu,

am willing to act in your stead, Demon Lord.

The "great deed" you speak of

is nothing but the Yuli Spring.

As your Demon Lord,

I will lead you to the spring

and help all demons attain full power.

But if you harbor any other ambitions,

I'm happy to show you exactly

how ruthless I can be.

Yes, my Lord.

What—

do you still wish to stay among them?

Just now he clearly suffered damage to his spiritual power,

yet he still...

Forgive my incompetence.

[Wu Huan]

Forgive my incompetence.

Hong Ye remains a force to be reckoned with.

Are you hurt as well?

Why would I be hurt?

My Lord,

I…

I, Xiao Ming, will take my leave for now.

If you need anything, please remember to call for me.

You—what are you doing?

Let go of me!

Let go!

Y-You…

I never expected the exalted Demon Lord

to stoop so low as to bully an ordinary girl!

Are you truly an ordinary girl?

I…

you…

Fine, I am not an ordinary woman—

and I suggest you release me.

If you don't, then I'll—

You'll what?

Stop right there.

As a demon,

yet knowing no demonic arts,

you should remain in Demons' Valley

and properly learn to wield spiritual power.

That's ridiculous.

I was perfectly fine in the human realm—

first dragged here for no reason,

and now you want me

to study demonic arts out of nowhere.

I'm human.

You were able to awaken me,

which proves you are a demon,

not human.

The only reason I've kept you alive until now

is because demon blood flows within you.

You might

as well accept it—you are a demon.

I was born of my mother

and raised by my father.

I am not a demon.

Demons eat people—I don't.

Demons eat people—

Yet you do not.

Say that again.

Just

who are you?

Ning'an,

I have recovered the ancient Kunlun Mirror for you.

All that came before

was merely to unsettle your mind.

Ning'an,

toward me,

have you ever felt anything true?

From this day forth,

you are forbidden to leave Demons' Valley.

Take one step beyond it, and you will be shown no mercy.

Move!

My Lord!

It's nothing.

I sustained a minor injury

during the earlier clash with Hei Wu— that is all.

Who are you?

I'm Luoluo,

[Luoluo]

and she's Dali.

The Lord sent us

to bring you something to eat.

Mm-hmm.

Eat up.

It's delicious.

[Dali]

Here, have some too.

He won't eat—he's not hungry.

Just you eat.

Then I won't eat either.

What's wrong?

It's poisoned, isn't it?

It's not poisoned. Eat.

Enough now—put it down.

He's waiting for you outside.

Can I borrow something?

Borrow what?

Why are you dressed like that?

I've noticed you demons

always seem to aim for my neck.

Are your wounds any better?

I've recovered from the wound,

but my body aches.

That bed of yours is way too hard—

my back just can't…

But it's fine, really.

Just let me go

and the pain will stop.

Follow me.

Do you know

that all living things possess a spirit?

I do.

Demons

are born from the cultivation of all beings in this world.

For a demon, the path of cultivation is exceptionally difficult.

One must possess innate wisdom,

draw upon the essence of heaven and earth,

follow the laws of nature's cycles,

endure countless seasons and moons—

only then may one take human form.

Even so,

they must still evade pursuit

from both humans and their own kind.

Are you going to tell me the history of Demons' Valley?

I want you to understand

that the demon race, like human race,

is also a unique part of this world.

You're right.

But I'm still human, not a demon.

That's a distinction that can't be blurred.

Whatever you believe,

you are ultimately different from other humans.

People will not accept demons—

and they will not accept you.

Now that you've entered Demons' Valley,

you already carry an aura of demonic energy that cannot be cleansed.

How is that possible?

Don't lie to me—

how could I have demonic energy?

Then tell me,

Then tell me: why did Luoluo and Dali

not recognize you as human?

Humans will see you as an aberration—

they will fear you,

scorn you,

and even seek your death.

What if the one I'm about to kill

is a demon?

She is not a demon.

Many people came to my home, splashed dog blood,

drove us from place to place— hunted and reviled wherever we went.

Don't talk as if you know humans so well.

Better than you humans know yourselves.

As the ruler of all demons,

I am also responsible for the lives of every demon under my charge.

If you leave,

the demons will believe

Demons' Valley has been exposed to danger.

That is why I will not let you go.

Let me offer you

well-meant advice: accept my proposal gladly,

settle here in Demons' Valley.

I will arrange lessons for you

so you may soon cultivate spiritual power

and learn to conceal your demonic aura.

After that,

both the demon realm and the human realm will be open to you.

And if I insist on leaving?

Suit yourself.

Hello, everyone.

Don't attack. Don't attack.

I'm Xiao Yao.

Last time was my fault—

I accidentally damaged your place,

but I'm here to make up for it now.

Really, I mean it.

Look, I've even brought tools.

The bridge.

Well, I'll be staying here for a few days.

Since fate has brought us together,

how about we get along peacefully?

Alright,

come over and give it a try.

You know, I noticed

something's missing around here.

This time I'll build you a fence too—

that'll make things even safer.

Sorry, sorry—

that wasn't on purpose, really!

Who built your house last time anyway?

It's not very sturdy.

But don't worry—now that I'm here,

I'll make sure your home

won't budge even in wind

or rain.

There, all done…

Alright, good.

From now on, we're friends!

Do they have names?

Zhuyu herb.

Zhuyu herb?

That sounds like the name of a plant.

Zhuyu herb originally grew as spirit herb on Mount Zhaoyao.

That land is harsh and cold,

making cultivation there extremely difficult.

Yet Zhuyu herb possesses remarkable properties—

if humans consume it, they can go 7 days without hunger or thirst.

Because of that, in this world,

the Zhuyu herb has been driven nearly to extinction by human overharvesting.

Only these few remain,

having fled to Demons' Valley

to escape becoming human sustenance.

So you're edible.

If you apply yourself in your lessons,

you may return to the human realm

in just a few days.

Whew, just on time.

Why are you taking my spot again?

Get out of here!

You get out!

Move over already.

Go, go!

Who are you cheering for?

Come on!

Try one.

Do I really have to be in the same class as these guys?

[Bamboo]

So sour.

That can't be right.

Try another piece.

What are you doing?

Just making sure you're not late.

I...

Look,

the crane's still flying.

You lot who can fly—

and live close by—

why can't you ever come early?

You are always late.

Don't you feel guilty?

Aren't you ashamed?

It's your fault for having to eat—

now we're late!

If you don't eat, how do you have the strength to study?

Here, take it.

Xiao Yao!

you're here! Come over.

You're early!

Give me the book.

This—

This is yours.

Right, this is your seat.

This is mine.

-And this is Luoluo's seat. -This is mine.

Everyone, gather around!

-Hurry, hurry! -We have a new classmate.

Come over!

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

You're all still

minor demons who haven't fully taken human form.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

I told you this would hold me back!

I've said so to the Lord—

but he insisted I be

in the same class as you.

We really shouldn't be classmates.

Or maybe you're just afraid to be in our class—

afraid we'll find out

the Lord has been granting you private tutelage.

Yeah, for sure—

extra lessons behind our backs.

Right,

definitely.

I knew it.

We've been training for years and still look like this.

Sweating now, aren't you?

What kind of demon are you anyway?

Yes, if we can't even tell your true form, something's off.

Look!

My true form

is

a white snake.

A Snake?

It was a night of falling blossoms.

I was lost in the forest,

hunted by human trappers.

At the most perilous moment,

a hero in blue robes descended from the heavens

and saved me from certain doom.

A hero in blue robes…

Could that be the Lord?

Shh!

The Lord told me not to speak of it— so don't ask more.

We can't say that. We can't.

Xiao Yao,

that mouth of yours certainly doesn't go to waste.

Can't stop boasting, can you?

True.

Right?

My Lord.

Do you have something to do?

I—well, yes.

I was just worried the Lord might be concerned,

so I came specially to check and see

if she was holding her own.

With that sharp tongue of hers,

why would I worry?

If you are not worried,

then why come here

instead of cultivating properly?

My Lord—

I'm sorry! My Lord!

Please put me down, My Lord!

You're a white snake?

Mm-hmm.

Then can I give you something?

A welcoming gift?

You don't like it?

I do,

but I've quit that.

Nowadays I only eat humans.

You eat humans!

Y-You eat humans?

You're amazing!

She actually eats humans!

Only Xiaohu's father once ate humans.

Mm-hmm.

right.

Hey, you! Talk properly.

Well, my dad said

human flesh

is sour—

doesn't taste good at all.

It's just nothing special.

Right?

Your father doesn't care for eating humans.

Of course not.

My dad also said

they just

act fierce and scary

to intimidate humans.

Humans are terrifying.

Yes, that's right.

I remember my mom saying

humans eat everything raw or cooked—

anything can end up in their mouths.

True.

Lots of demons have ended up in human stomachs.

Yeah,

and they eat us the most!

Right, and they have so many ways to cook us…

Stir-fried, boiled…

Don't scare yourselves like that.

Actually, humans

don't just eat demons.

-They eat lots of things. -The Master's here.

Now,

I have a question for you.

Who knows what

the true form of a Bi Fang is?

Who...

Xiao Yao,

you answer.

[King of Eight Plates]

Still not ready?

Don't rush.

Softshell turtle soup needs to simmer even longer.

Softshell turtle?

Where'd you get it?

Our master is a turtle, isn't he?

Sir.

Sir.

The Master is gone.

No,

I just snipped a bit of his beard

while he was asleep.

If there's a next time,

I will banish you from Moon-Gazing Terrace.

Goodbye, Master.

Dali, you're so delicious.

Don't talk nonsense—

this is a flower pastry Xiao Yao made

from fallen petals.

Is it tasty?

Mmm, it's delicious.

Delicious.

Tasty.

A simple trick.

It smells nice, doesn't it?

So sweet.

Here, have a taste.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I-I—

you have so many here…

today I-I'll...

I'll...

Little deer,

are you willing to offer a small piece of your antler?

Alright.

You—

just tell me where the bird's nest is, that's enough.

Can I use this instead?

Sure.

Genuine wolf-hair brush.

Then I'll roll it.

Roll it! Roll it! Roll it!

Roll it! Roll it! Roll it!

Deer antler,

wolf-hair brush,

lingzhi mushrooms—

my father will be overjoyed when he finds out.

Ginseng boy,

we're rich!

Little one,

are you playing here by yourself?

You're so adorable—

let me tie a red string on you.

Good boy.

Here we go.

So pretty.

There, all done.

Thank you, lady.

These red strings are for you—

to give to your destined one.

Isn't it said that if you tie a red string on it,

it turns into ginseng?

So polite, though.

Xiao Yao,

I've prepared—

Sorry, wrong room.

This seems to be my room.

I prepared

something for you.

This—

a bright-red gauze canopy?

Why does it look like part of a dowry?

Don't all young girls

like things like this?

Who's a "young girl"?

I'm not young!

I've lived for over a thousand years.

Compared to me,

aren't you a young girl in my eyes?

Fair point…

You old demon.

Demon Lord,

the Eternal Demon Lord.

Here,

I'll give you something in return—

you're welcome.

Stop!

Xiao Yao,

do you realize what you've done?

Why did that red string disappear?

That's not something you wear

or give away so casually.

It's not an ordinary red string—

it's the red matchmaking thread of the red-thread demon.

Then why was it on Ginseng boy?

I'll go find him to undo it.

Stay right where you are!

That's not "Ginseng boy"—

it's the red-thread demon's second generation disciple.

Alright, alright, the red-thread demon's second generation disciple.

Why are you following me?

Now do you understand why I'm following you?

Could it be that this red string

won't let us separate?

It's more than just not separating.

The red matchmaking thread of the red-thread demon

is created for romance between demons.

It has three stages.

Only after all three are completed

can it dissolve on its own.

What are the three stages?

First stage:

The two connected by the red thread

cannot be more than ten feet apart.

Ten feet?

Second stage:

They will share feelings and sensations.

Feelings and sensations.

-What's the third stage? -Don't worry—

we won't make it to the third stage.

Why?

You're not going to eat me, are you?

My Lord,

the cleansing ceremony to welcome Demon Lord

has been prepared.

Prepare to depart.

Where to?

After you, my Lord.

My Lord,

the cleansing ceremony is no small matter.

You cannot take Xiao Yao with you.

Let go—

you, let go.

I have made my decision. Do not bring it up again.

Let's go.

My Lord!

My Lord,

first you risked yourself to save her from Hei Wu,

then you sent her to Moon-Gazing Terrace to study and cultivate.

You even prepared gauze canopies and bedding for her—

and now,

do you want her to serve you personally?

You are the Monarch of All Demons.

Acting like this

could undermine your authority.

You think I want this?

If it weren't for us…

You—be quiet.

And you—be quiet too.

My Lord, the auspicious hour has arrived.

All unrelated personnel, please withdraw.

For today's ceremony,

Xiao Yao shall attend me.

You may instruct her.

First: Fragrant herbs

to clear away impurities.

Xiao Yao! Xiao Yao!

M-My lord!

Continue.

Second: Bathe in holy water

to wash away calamity.

Water?

I can do this.

Good.

This water needs—

Next?

Hmmm...

Keep going.

Third: Wield the willow branch for fortune and longevity.

Wield.

Really?

Mm-hmm.

Forgive me, my Lord!

Withdraw.

My Lord.

I said withdraw!

No, I mean—weren't you bound to me—

To wield,

not to strike.

Right, then—

the c-cleansing ceremony is concluded.

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

Let's go! Move it! Hurry up!

Run, let's run!

I don't know how to do this!

You're forcing me into something I've never done—

I've never waited on anyone in my life.

Even though my family was poor when I was little,

we never had to serve others like this.

All hail the return of the Demon Lord to the realm of the living!

All hail the return of the Demon Lord to the realm of the living!

All hail the return of the Demon Lord to the realm of the living!

All hail the return of the Demon Lord to the realm of the living!